1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to ticket vending machines and, more specifically, to a ticket roll detection arrangement used in a ticket vending machine to detect the amount of the loaded ticket roll.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 8 shows the internal structure of a conventional ticket-venting machine. According to this design, the ticket vending machine comprises a frame structure A. The frame structure A comprises a base frame A1, an upright side frame A2 at one lateral side of the base frame A1, and a reel A21 pivoted to the upright side frame A2 and suspended above the base frame A1 for holding a ticket roll (not shown). This structure of ticket vending machine is not satisfactory in function because of the following drawbacks.
1. The user cannot know the rest amount of the ticket roll during the use of the ticket vending machine. When the ticket roll used up, the user may have to keep clients waiting for a length of time before refurnishing of a new ticket roll.
2. When pulling the lead end of the newly loaded ticket roll out of the ticket outlet A3 of the ticket vending machine, an inertia force is produced to keep the reel A21 rotated for a distance after the user released the hand from the lead end of the ticket roll, thereby causing a part of the ticket roll to be wrinkled or jammed in the ticket vending machine between the reel A21 and the ticket outlet A3.
The present invention has been accomplished to provide a ticket roll detection arrangement for ticket vending machine, which eliminates the aforesaid drawbacks. It is one object of the present invention to provide a ticket roll detection arrangement for ticket vending machine, which detects the rest amount of the ticket roll automatically. It is another object of the present invention to provide a ticket roll detection arrangement for ticket vending machine, which eliminates the inertia effect of the ticket roll supply reel, preventing a measuring error. To achieve these and other objects and according to one aspect of the present invention, the ticket roll detection arrangement comprises rack mounted on the base frame of the frame structure of a ticket vending machine, the rack having two upright side panels; a reel supported in the upright side panels of the rack for free rotation; a ticket roll mounted on the reel; a photo-grid wheel fixedly provided at one end of the reel for synchronous rotation with the reel, and a photo transmitter receiver assembly installed in the rack of the frame structure on two sides of the photo-grid wheel and adapted to detect the revolving speed of the photo-grid wheel upon delivery of the ticket roll out of the ticket vending machine and to measure the diameter of the rest ticket roll on the reel subject to the detected revolving speed of the photo-grid wheel so as to know the actual rest amount of the ticket roll. According to another aspect of the present invention, two support frames are respectively fastened to the upright side panels of the rack, each support frame having two suspension arms adapted to support the reel in the smoothly arched top bearing notches of the rack and to prohibit the reel from producing an inertia effect.